The Center For Sharing started offering local leadership formation courses in servant leadership in Kenya in 2005, at the invitation of Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Kenya, Rev. Dr. Stephen Kanyaru M’Impwii. The nine month course we have been offering in the U.S since 1995 was condensed into a one month course consisting of roughly 160 hours of class time, not including field trips that are a part of the over-all course.
This course has now been presented in Nairobi (Central Kenya), Malindi (East coast) and Kisumu (western Kenya), with MCK pastors, and administrative staff as participants.
Out of the desire for servant leadership to move away from being perceived as primarily theory based to a practical application for the benefit of place-based communities, CFS tried a different approach with the Kisumu participants in 2007. Western Kenya suffers from high HIV rate, lack of potable water, lack of access to resources in general (although lush in natural resources.) We asked this class to dream a great dream for their communities, and write a proposal for funding as part of the course. Seven proposals were turned in. Those pilot projects later found funding through a collaborative venture between CFS and Vista Hermosa Foundation, whose mission it is to nurture sustainable communities.
Most of the seven projects are still in process of reaching towards their original goals, which are being managed through a collaborative effort between MCK and VHF.
Within the cohort of servant leaders we have worked with over the last 6 years, a new dream is emerging in 2011, around the concept of a Kenyan led servant leadership organization. We are very excited to see the seeds that have been planted during that time starting to grow and bloom! We look forward to the fruit that even now is starting to grow amongst some of the projects initiated.
